SP 2.0 – Captain Zero Spins Again!
The gavels were banged and lawmakers sent home. The governor, hoping no one does their homework, put out his spin. House leadership would be held back a grade if they were in school instead of Juneau. The governor? Well, he’d be expelled for disruptive behavior, bullying, not playing well with others and throwing the state championships to the opposing team. Sorry, he makes me miss Palin so bad I’m using basketball analogies! Yikes. Here’s Captain Zero’s self grading with a bit of reality: Performance Scholarships Funded The high school graduating class of 2011 is now the first eligible to earn…
New Assemblyman Trombley Guilty of Lying and Being a Whippersnapper
The thing that consoles me when I write about local issues, is that our characters here in Alaska (even though many of you are from elsewhere) are so incredibly over-the-top and ridiculous that they can be appreciated in their own right, just for the entertainment value. It’s like writing a book full of short stories about some mythical crazy dysfunctional municipal government, only it’s not mythical. Today, we’ll revisit one of the larger yet lesser characters in our serial drama, and one of Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan’s henchpeople. Remember Adam Trombley, former local basketball star and up-and-coming conservative mayoral toady?…
The New and Unimproved Debbie Ossiander Scoffs at Democratic Process
So how completely impressed are we with our new Assembly Chair Debbie Ossiander? Just as impressed as we were with her the last time she was Chair. And that would be… not at all. Her ignominious rise to the top spot hinged, apparently, on her loyalty to Mayor Dan Sullivan, and she’s been eager to prove her empty-headed devotion since her return to the throne. First on the list of things to do it seems, was to circumvent that thing we like to call “democracy.” Anchorage is in the middle of redistricting. This is as important as it gets. The…
Tina Fey Returns!
For those of you who missed the mock 2012 GOP Candidates Who Haven’t Declared Yet skit on Saturday Night Live last night, enjoy! Tina Fey is back, resplendent in red blazer, life-sized flag pin, and the admiration of… Donald Trump. Sometimes I think it would be worth it to have Palin in the race, just for the entertainment value from Ms. Fey alone.
Oyster Roundup!
~Thick and fast they came at last, and more, and more, and more! Derby Day! That’s right. Today with your plate of tasty oyster news nuggets, you can also enjoy a mint julep. (pause while that sinks in) OK, maybe not the best combination, but you understand my metaphorical drift. It should be an interesting race today. There are 19 horses in this year’s race, and there’s a great summary in the Wall Street Journal (linked above) for those of you looking for a quick primer. It’s been a long, strange trail to the 137th Kentucky Derby, which gets underway…
Wisconsin Republican Party Election Fraud Exposed: Breaking.
By Patrick DePula As if the Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice “recount” isn’t a big enough mess, It appears that the Wisconsin GOP has been engaged in widespread fraud surrounding their attempts to recall democratic senators. Inexplicably, the Republican Party of Wisconsin had relied heavily on people they hired from out of state to collect signatures against democrats, even paying to house these folks in hotel rooms. In all cases, they paid by the signature. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? The decision to pay out of state people when there are plenty of unemployed folks that reside in…
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell Endangers Children’s Health for Political Posturing
Alaska is a land of extremes, both good and bad. We have the most coastline, the most islands, the best fishing, the most park land, and I can confidently say the most natural wild beauty of any state in the nation. On the flip side, we have the most earthquakes, the most infant botulism, the most alcoholism, the most mosquitoes, and the worst rate of chlamydia of any state. We’re second in the nation for gonorrhea. ~Chlamydia The state has been first or second in reported rates of chlamydia every year since 2000, state public health officials said. Alaska’s rate…
Palin Pulls a Palin… again.
~Palin in the headlights at the MSNBC after party So, who is the most influential journalist in America today? Not an easy question, perhaps. It’s one that requires some knowledge of who the journalists today are. And if you’re on camera, and a politico or media type, it might also require a little diplomatic forethought. And if you decided that you didn’t want to answer the question for fear of alienating all the journalists you don’t mention, it might require some fast-on-your-feet poise as you gracefully deflect the question with a bit of humor subtly indicating that you don’t want…
Voices from the Flats – The BP Gulf Disaster Taught Us Lessons We Already Knew
By Hal Shepherd, Acting Executive Director, Kachemak Bay Conservation Society Homer, Alaska The BP Oil Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico last year should serve as a stark reminder to Alaskans just how vulnerable our fisheries and the families they support are to spilled oil. Alaska is no stranger to such events. Cook Inlet, which supports one of the state’s premier commercial and sport fishing economies, is a clear example of what we have to lose if an uncontrollable well blowout occurs here. Such an incident is not so difficult to imagine. Right now, two independent oil companies, Houston-based Escopeta…